Christian McCaffrey Back and Healthy at the Start of 49ers Training Camp

The San Francisco 49ers need Christian McCaffrey more than ever this season. With the former Stanford star at the center of success for the 49ers during their Super Bowl run in 2023, the franchise entered 2024 with high expectations, hoping to replicate their success and stay in the upper tier of the NFC.

But injuries, most notably to McCaffrey, hindered the 49ers season and instead saw them finish 6-11 and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Despite a major roster turnover, the 49ers still expect to be a contending team in 2025, and are hoping that McCaffrey returns to full health, ready to produce. At the start of training camp this week, McCaffrey was not only there for the start along with everyone else, but he reportedly looked healthy and explosive, indicating that this season will be a resurgent one for the former Offensive Player of the Year.

#49ers RB Christian Mccaffrey looking very nice 👀🔥

🎥: @LombardiHimself pic.twitter.com/ACWohDL4CO
— ninerspride (@ninerspride_) July 23, 2025

Just because he is fully healthy, does not mean that the 49ers are going to let him loose. According to head coach, Kyle Shanahan, the team plans to manage McCaffrey's workload throughout camp in order to give him a proper ramp up period without putting extra strain on his body.

At 29-years-old, McCaffrey is approaching the twilight years of his career as a running back and the 49ers want to everything they can to prevent, or at least delay, a decline at this stage.

Dealing with a calf injury over the offseason, McCaffrey missed almost all of camp last season and when he eventually returned to action later during the season, he was unable to find his rhythm. But Shanahan hopes that a full camp will help McCaffrey get off to a fast start this season and play at a high level for all 17 games.

"Last year neither of them did camp, and that didn't help them go through the season, either," Shanahan said. "So I'm glad that they're both here and healthy and they get a chance to go back to have a chance to build their bodies where they have a chance to get through the season like they have in the past."

The 49ers took their first step in making sure that CMC did not go too hard in his first training camp practice of the new season. ESPN's 49ers beat reporter, Nick Wagoner, reported that during the 49ers 75-minute session on July 22, McCaffrey did all the individual work but did not participate in any of the team drills. The first practice is usually less intense than others, so that is nothing to be alarmed by.

If McCaffrey can return to form this season, good times could be coming back to San Francisco. McCaffrey's presence has turned the 49ers into one of the league's best offenses and if he shows no signs of slowing down, then expect the 49ers offense to return to being a powerhouse.